The golf swing for every golfer is essentially a turning motion around a central core, regardless of body structure or degree of flexibility, which are known to vary greatly from one golfer to another. The execution f an effective golf swing is based upon a series of factors or steps that the golfer must understand and execute: posture, stance, alignment of the feet, ball position, distance to and from the ball, and grip.
A good golf swing starts with proper posture. Good posture is critical for consistent, accurate, and powerful ball striking. Having a proper posture means leaning over ever so slightly, well-balanced on slightly bent knees. When a golfer takes the stance, the width of the stance should be about shoulder wide and the arms should be hanging free. Further, the golfer must properly “address” the ball. At address, the body and stance is positioned perpendicular to the ball, although stance can be adjusted for different shots. Stance is essential to achieve proper balance that will allow the golfer to make an effective “body turn” while striking the ban. Alignment of the feet is a very significant aspect of the swing and affects the trajectory of the ball once struck. The ball is positioned with respect to the golfer's feet before being struck. Thus, foot alignment, along with ball positioning relation to the golfer's feet, provides the golfer's intended line of flight with respect to the distance and direction the golfer intends the struck ball to land. Fortunately, the proper positioning of the feet is essentially a mechanical function which, when mastered, can leave the golfer free to concentrate more specifically on other aspects of the golf swing. It is well-known and accepted that the most important factor in directing the flight of a golf ball is the positioning of the feet relative to the golf ball, i.e. the stance of the golfer. Not only does the golfer's stance generally determine the direction in which the golf ball will go when hit, it also has an effect on the spin which is imparted to the ball when it is hit by the golf club. In general, the ball is positioned near the center of the player's stance for short irons, moving forward of center through the middle and long irons, until it is opposite the heel of the front toot for woods. The grip of the hands on the handle of the golf club must be firm and properly positioned. Timing is the most critical element of the golf swing because it connects all of the different moving parts of the body into one motion. On the backswing (the first part of the swing), the order of movement is as follows: hands, arms, shoulders, hips. The downswing (the second part of the swing) is initiated by the unwinding of the hips. Then, the shoulders and arms follow. Indeed, volumes have been written, instructional videos have been produced, and many make a living teaching about the golf swing and what a golfer should do to perfect it. All instruction and training is for naught, however, if the golfer is not certain where the golf ball will go when it is hit. Thus, it would be advantageous to have a device that allows a novice to properly “address” the ball by positioning his body, i.e. stance, properly before every shot.
Golf instruction is the art of equipping and training golfers to play better golf through improved awareness of swing cause and effects resulting from the actions of their body, the club, and the impact on the golf ball. Most great golfers have a few common elements that make them great including, but not limited to, an anticipated effective result, swing repeatability to produce an action that generates said result, and a strong level of automaticity for long lasting enjoyment of the golf game. Golf instruction can be wide ranging, but many great modern day instructors are able to diagnose a golfer's swing frustrations accurately and present a clear fix that encourages the golfer in the discovery of a lasting “cure” from the specific limitations that affected them, while providing a means to repeatedly implement the recommended “cure”. Unfortunately, group or individual golf instruction is often expensive, and many golfers are unable to afford repeated golf instruction for prolonged periods of time. Thus, the need for a reliable and affordable training means that can reinforce some of the important factors in directing the flight of the golf ball is desired.
Teaching professionals usually employ one or more methods to help the golfer achieve proper alignment. One method employed with a right-handed golfer (the same can be done with a left-handed golfer by doing the inverse) is to physically align the golfer's body (feet, knees, hips and shoulders) until it is aligned left of and perpendicular to the ball (usually intended for a driver). Another method employed with a right-handed golfer involves laying a golf club on the ground in a manner that the shaft of the golf club is left and parallel to the ball while having the golfer align his left foot against the club. Visual aids typically yield better results, as they help the golfer fully understand the proper alignment procedure. Yet another method employed involves laying a golf club on the ground, at or near the ball, and aligned or pointing to the intended target, i.e. where the golfer wants the ball to end up when hit. The golfer will assume a stance parallel to the club in order to align his/her body with the intended target and then address the ball. These simple and effective methods have lead to several prior art devices employing visual aids in helping with golfer alignment. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,150,580; 3,166,327; 3,229,891; 3,429,577; 4,718,674; 4,925,192; 5,042,815; 5,139,263; 5,362,060; 5,611,738; and 6,089,989 help teach the golfer how to properly align their body with an intended target (where the golfer wants the ball to end up) and how to position a ball properly. The aforementioned patents are representative of numerous patents that relate to golf training devices. The prior art generally shows devices utilizing panels, strips, shafts, etc. to assist in the proper stance, proper alignment, and proper ball position for the golfer. The goal being that, through repetition, the golfer will build a reliable, repeatable golf swing. However, the prior art devices lack in mobility, compactness, and ease in transportation.
What is lacking in the art is a personalized training device designed to assist the golfer to develop an effective repeatable golf swing that can easily be transported from location to location and is cost effective to the user. The invention is, with the exception of identifying the proper grip, designed to assist the golfer to adopt the most effective way to execute posture, stance, alignment of the feet, ball position, and distance to and from the ball.